Telstra shake-up sees marketing power shift away from Amanda Johnston-Pell to Mark Collis

So. She goes on maternity leave and gets knocked off. I’m going to defer pregnancy lest I suffer the same fate.

How often do we hear about teams / organisations/ departments being restructured when a key player is on mat leave. Very disappointing. I am with you betty boo – hold off on that mat leave until you know you want to leave anyway!!

Don’t get me started – the innuendo about whether or not a woman in a senior position who goes on maternity will come back to work or not is offensive and undermining (haven’t people heard that some people actually need to come back to work because they have mortgages to pay, or of women who enjoy work and want to come back to work). The suggestion that women might not come back is a pathetic excuse to put in place changes that the organisation was too gutless to put in place beforehand – and don’t raise that other pathetic ‘we can’t wait until everyone has finished having babies to make changes’ crap. Enjoy your mat leave Amanda – either they have consulted you properly and approrpiately about the changes and you are at home enjoying a bit of a baby break or they have completely stuffed up their obligations and you can have a great chat with your lawyers!

Sad but true. Successful careers are the best contraceptive for us gals. Mat leave = door mat leave?

Fe & Betty Boo – are you saying an organisation should wait until someone is back from Mat leave to make much needed changes? I agree that you would hope there is open consultation – but to becry Kate because she’s acting to do what she believes it the right thing for the company is the wrong approach. If a function/person is underperfoming and they they happen to go off on Mat leave why should the company remain in stasis?

looking at this suite of announcements from a different angle: Telstra’s big focus has been on customer experience – so what’s behind the outster of Klaus Kaasgaard? Does that signal a shift away from good product design? What does Collis bring to the table in that regard?

Huh? – I agree that a company shouldn’t have to wait until someone comes back from maternity leave to make coporate changes however my point is that women should not be disadvantaged as a result of going on maternity leave – they are legally entitled to return to a position of the same status and remuneration that they held before going on leave. Leaving the Telstra story aside ….generally it is weak and potentially illegal to deal with underperformance by changing someone’s job description and remuneration while they are on maternity leave. My experience is that it is an easy copout to implement change while a woman is on maternity leave. And speculating that someone might not come back (just because they went on mat leave) is part of the undermining that women face from being out of the office for an extended period. And to add to this – I told you not to get me started – the office politicking that is unfortunately necessary at senior levels because of these issues makes it very difficult for the woman to be having a nice time at home with the new baby.

perfectly agree with your point about being potentially being disadvantaged. assuming for the moment that the ‘corporate imperative’ is valid, what do you suggest should be the approach?

I’m still not having a baby. Who knows about the internal wrangling at Telstra. I’m just saying in general it’s not easy having two X chromosomes, a career and then having a bub or two.
I’m not even considering it any more. Too risky.

Don’t want to rain on the shit canning parade, but I was actually promoted whilst on mat leave at a leading media org. If you are good at your job, I don’t think companies forget your value just because you are not in the office. Mind you, coming back to work to a full on new role with young kids at home is not something I would actually recommend…very hard.

Gen X syndrome for women:
We were lead to believe we could have it all.

(edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)

I can’t think of a witty joke about bus tickets.

Sorry.

Sandra 28 Jun 10 , 7:22 p SO SO TRUE.
(Edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)
I AM SURE THE CEO WILL DO THE RIGHT THING.

(Edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)

Oh dear, the infamous bus ticket, love it! 🙂

Not sure why Kaasgaard got the arse, he was well regarded around Yahoo traps and seemed to be respected by his staff.

@Markting guru

Caps lock: It’s cruise control for cool

OK. Mental note to self. If ever employed by Telstra in the future:
– don’t get pregnant
– don’t get pissed
– don’t wear anything but pants

Bugger that. Why would I work there? They seem to implode on a yearly basis. Every new marketing guru or guress [sic] marks out their territory. Sacks most of them wasting huges amounts of resources.

I love a good cat fight. Meow.

* Paging Telstra HR *

Off the bus, that was a classic, Note to telstra marketing staff, you can actually fill in the staff survey (edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)

People are forgetting kassgard because it doesn’t suit their agenda.

A bit late for the Staff Engagement Survey.

Don’t feel concerned as I understand 80% staff active disengagement in SMG won’t go un-noticed (again)

(Edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)

The issue is simply

– a no dickhead rule
– no hiring dickheads

if that was the case

1) (Edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)

2) a culture of fear and intimidation would not be present, and
3) (edited by mumbrella for legal reasons)

The queen is dead, long live the king. Agree with Karma, we are all tired of having to take it up bottom …. Oh to be a fly on the wall in our WIPs, now that would make good reading ……..

Hey Insider,

I can imagine the cheering going on at your internal WIP..s

And maybe agencys can go back to working with clients rather than as Insider says taking it up the bottom all the time (not that there’s anything wrong with that!)

There was a client I knew
Who I think you know too
(Edited by Mumbrella)
The reason is no mystery
Alas there are others too

Agency Slave and Insider,

Please send mass invite for those parties, there will be a lot of people wanting to help celebrate

Whilst this turn of events is rather delicious and fully deserved … (edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)

http://m.theage.com.au/technol.....-p3n7.html

It’s too nasty here now. I’m bored. Off to make babies.

To Anonymous – good point.

However, I wager that something can only be defamatory if it is untrue.

As well as nasty, much of this is inaccurate. Personal attacks are cruel and wrong and when posted anonymously or under pseuonyms are weak. If you feel so passionately or have the inside word then put a name to your comment.

I would love to know which comments are inaccurate, Cynic. I’ll bet Telstra marketing staff would disagree with you. (Edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons). I doubt anyone would be willing to put their name to a comment here, since they are likely to be hunted down.

And who are you anyway Cynic?

I have been told that the turnover in BMCG staff was utterly staggering.

Word on the street in Cannes is that Telstra are chasing the VB guy…he’s now 2 from 2 for Gold Lions (Schweppes Burst & VB Parade ad). No bullshit, straight shooter who is all about his staff. 2 different agencies mentioned that it is imminent. Whatever happens, Telstra staff will finally see some daylight in what has become a gloomy world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdL2BOstIfU

Oh dear, tee hee: )

Sorta sums up the recent quality of outputs though.

Does all this mean that the creative actually needs to be good now, I mean actually needs to deliver some results ? …. … … che cazzo stai dicendo … … … … (edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)? Problema … … nessuno me lo ficca in culo!

It seems that the dictatorship may still be in force with a lot of these comments being edited. I’m with Mr Delicious on this one, there would be a lot of the Telstra marketing team that would be able to back up these reports. Just the phenomenally high turn over of staff and 80% active disengagement speaks louder than words! It reminds me of a famous quote from Animal Farm author George Orwell “all power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely!!! I rest my case!

Have the above comments have received a “sparkle session” makeover?

Oh the sparkle session I remember those! (Edited by Mumbrella).

What a shame that the people have been silenced yet again….I do hope that the right people within senior management and media circles saw the comments made by those who were brave enough to post.

All the above antics sound no different to the clients we all deal with …..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxUn3pYKpIc&feature=youtube_gdata

I have to disagree with Cynic and agree with Mr Delicious

(Edited by MUmbrella for legal reasons)

And of course people can’t put their names down to their comments – there is a GFC on and despite BMCG being a nasty sweatshop, people need jobs and dont want to lose their jobs.

Let’s face it Telstra secuirty is probably checking the net logs to see who in BMCG has gone to this site.

NOTE TO TELSTRA SECURITY – some people in BMCG have BigPond wireless cards which can access the net without going through the companies main corporate internet..

And just because we read Mumbrella doesn’t mean we are the ones posting comments (edited by Mumbrella).

And don’t forget its not just BMCG that thinks (edited by Mumbrella). Ask around some of the other BU’s.

(Edited by Mumbrella)

oh and ROFLMAO at .Play em off, keyboard cat video.

Wow, never thought that Mumbrella would censor so many comments, (edited by Mumbrella) must have pulled in a favour in having the Insider (#27) ones removed … LOL … so not only censoring the comments but also the poor girls name … LOL and Karma was just saying it as it is, well done all you brave people !!!!

Headline: “Telstra sign new PR agency Mumbrella to help silence critics”

I don’t blame Mumbrella really, he’d likely open himself up to huge dramas if the Telstra legal team went nuts.

Thats true Gary, its not fair to have a go at Mumbrella, they are business after all and as a professional company they clearly recognise the challenges that face senior managers like AJ, Belgiovane or Stu (who are no more popular than each other) – who have just done what they have to do to run businesses in a tough market. If that means bending the rules, flushing out and firing the deadwood, or just being a yes man and nodding along to your client, who can blame you. Well done Mumbrella for stepping in and taking a side! As for the others, give it a rest and toughen up …

From an outsiders perspective this has been – wow. On one hand I’m impressed by you guys for standing up for yourselves, I mean, working for a telecommunications company and posting online must have its risks, but on the other hand this woman/these women have been persecuted anonymously, which has an eww factor. Having said that it sounds like you were all invited by Telstra to vote on their performance the same way, and the result was similar to what I’m reading above, and Telstra took no action, so – karma. You must agree that other senior management at the company should have supported you/her before it got to this point, no?

Cynic, I think Mumbrella are more cognisant of the ‘challenges’ from Telstra’s attack dog legal team than the challenges faced by various revolving-door Telstra execs.

Without saying too much, I am sure that the great Telstra machine, at high levels, were not unaware of the allegations raised here. 🙂

Cynic, I’m not sure if you get what it is like to work in these environments, its hard, really hard but I respect your views.

(edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)

IWe want a leader with a heart and who is brave enough and honest enough to be able to maintain the most senior relationship on a foundation of respect and performance …. not a little yes man ….. (edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons) himself was a man who had the mana required to manage those type of relationships, if you are reading this, come and fix us up!

Cynic – “toughen up” is a classic line used by bullies to their victims. And “bend ing the rules” to get what you want… what does that say about your way of thinking?

Some person, good point. Learned helplessness – like th experiment of the dog in cage getting electric shocks eventually accepts it and stays in the cage when the door is open. Call the RSPCA

Mr Delicious, I have seen many like you come and go, panicker’s and whiners, if you are to weak for the corporate world find something more suitable.

(Edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons). Plenty of good books out there.

Well how mysterious. So you can mention the word Telstra but as soon as you say (edited by Mumbrella for reasons explained below) your comments get edited. Something funny is going on …..

Puzzling … why would someone edit out (edited by Mumbrella for reasons explained below…) name in #53. I would have thought (edited) of advertising in Australia had earned the right to be complimented in a public forum. Well said some person, love your point of view.

Maybe (edited by mumbrella) have bought a stake in Mumbrella? Is it an (edited) thing?

(Edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons) Cynic, you are obviously on the bus, take your blinders off.

Cynic, do you think being a hard working, fair and decent person who loves their job is “weak”? (edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)

I don’t know why Telstra bothers marketing anyway. It is the same as trying to sell asbestos. Everyone has had a toxic experience with it or knows someone who has.

Cynic I understand that sometimes in an organisation like Telstra its important to flush out the dead wood. (edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)

Well said Hog. No well balanced person who is good at their job should have to resort to bullying.

Hog Award, I tend to have to agree with you. Cynic, you quite clearly need to get a reality check. Working in telstra marketing is akin to working in a sweat shop. For you to insuate that the people are ‘too weak for the corporate world’ is ridiculous.

Do you not realise that many of us have worked in other major corporates before working at Telstra? We do have some idea of what it is like to work for a ‘normal’ marketing department, given our previous experience and as such we all quite clearly recognise that the environment with that which we work in now is clearly toxic.

I think it might be time for you to wake up Cynic…the world does not begin and end with Telstra marketing, although senior management would like to remind us constantly that we are not particuarly employable anywhere else.

Cynic – I am guessing you work for Telstra and maybe high up in a certain section.

Your statement that ” if you are to weak for the corporate world find something more suitable” is really shameful. The corporate world is obliged to provide a safe working environment under OH&S laws. And not just because there are laws, but because of common decency.

(Edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)

Forcing employees to humiliate themselves by forced dancing in meetings is bullying. (and let’s hope that no-one has any video of that for YouTube!)

It’s bad management to manage so that a toxic work environment exists. It opens the company to financial loss through people needing time off, or making workers comp claims and lost productivity as BMCG employees become demoralised.

High turnover is a sign of bad management – the problem is Telstra just doesn’t care.

Some senior executives in BMCG know that their chances of being employed elsewhere is not good given their reputation.

Just the comments here indicate the level of unhappiness amongst Telstra employees and agencies.

I believe the people in charge of BMCG both acting and original, are not stupid but maybe don’t care that much – if they are really smart people they will see these comments and use them as a teaching moment to better their skill set so their tenure is not quite so short in the future.

Oh the dancing at SOW meetings, truly bizarre. When I first heard it from a BMCG staffer I literally did not believe it.

BTW have we all familiarised ourselves with the 3R policy? 🙂

Gary, I know.

When it first started, i couldn’t believe we had to do it – the embarassed looks amongst the staff and comments muttered under one’ breath were constant.

Others I have told have had the same reaction Gary – they just could not believe it either.

Now Cynic, naturally I am not using my real name or posting from work as I still have work for BMCG and least until the economy improves and I can like everyone else there, run screaming as far from that hellhole as is possible.

Oh the ridiculous dancing SOW… How I miss being berated for not being enthusiastic enough in my dancing efforts And having to reherse the dancing entrance again and again for VIPs being treated to an Opray (Oprah to the rest of us) style interview…

Ta ta for now…must go and run through a giant banner with my name on it….

Creative Excellence, that BU has quite a ‘reputation’ internally amongst the place, don’t worry about that. It’s indeed funny how all us lowly (and not so lowly) punters hear all the crazy and depressing stories, but those in their golden domes have no idea…..well, until recently anyway 🙂

I wonder if the BMCG lifestyle concept of Work-Life Integration (formerly known as slavery) will be gone? The thinking behind the concept is that you work all the time and have no life.

I have to add that Cynic’s style of management sounds more suitable for the role of Top Dog in Prisoner than in any reputable corporate organisation.

(Edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons) would! 🙂

I am surprised you are still whining. To clarify, when I say deadwood I mean actual business performance under-performers. In Telco, like many historical government institutions we have historically been obliged to carry under performers. A systematic and determined approach to eradicating under-performers is required to sustain the performance of the business which in turn benefits high performers and agency partners financially. This approach in turn creates a better life for those prepared to work hard and do whatever is required to maintain an effective business.

Whining in itself is very destructive which is why we need to exit employees with that type of attitude. When joining a corporate organisation the candidate is obliged to investigate the opportunity and decide whether or not they are suited to the role. Conning you way into a role or staying in a role when you are no longer capable or cannot compete with fresh talent will result in astute business environments dismissing the employee or unhappiness generally in the environment.

This is a high performer category and what we are experiencing here in this discussion stream is just a product of this scenario. Management cannot be blamed and neither can agencies like Ogilvy, BWM or DDB who realise how they need to operate to sustain this kind of account. In regards to moral within agencies then I challenge agencies to adopt the same approach and avoid knee jerk hires and carefully source and place the most appropriate staff. Many of the most successful corporates across the globe have followed policies of exiting the lowest 5 or 10% of performers annually, a highly successful policy. The challenge rests in both clients and agencies adopting similar strategies and having fair and reasonable policies in place to swiftly eradicate those that no longer perform at the required level.

Under performers need to understand this and group together in organisations that can sustain a business model that supports their standard of work. If you were accountable for revenue and sustaining employment for real staff who perform well, I am sure you would all quickly agree.

… and it is wrong to reference the “on the bus” scenario in the way that it has been discussed, this was a highly effective, motivating tactic to create a collegial spirit within the team and proved very successful. Out of context these company rituals are easy to misinterpret but were certainly intended as highly positive, team building exercises that result in authority being understood and performance improvements.

Yes! (Edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)

Sadly, many of the “under performers” are EDs or GMDs. 🙂

Oh Cynic you must be trolling – the whole “bus” concept was part of an idiotic style that contributed to staggering staff turnover, well above any other BU.

And that turnover is highly visible internally. 🙂

The “bus” was a clueless misunderstanding of Sol’s quote http://snipurl.com/yjkhs [www_smh_com_au]

BMCG / SMG never did get the vision…

The infamous “bus ticket” was created when someone senior in BMCG failed to understand a speech from our then leader Sol. In the speech, Mr Trujillo warned his management team they should “catch the vision or catch the bus”. Anyone with half a brain could understand that catching the bus meant leaving Telstra.

Neverthless, BMCG were ordered to send emails to a senior leader to confirm they were “on the bus”. They were then issue a “bus ticket” which they had to print out and stick on their desk and on their pass. To get into SOW meetings we had to wave our bus tickets in the air.

The whole idea was retarded and didn’t boost team spirit in the slightest. Well… maybe people bonded over secretive WTF is going on converstaions. But I doubt this was the effect desired by senior management.

Cynic, assuming you are right in your odd philosophy, at what point to you consider that the system is failing. For example I recall many announcements in our agency about a new “saviour” hire, someone highly credentialed, with world class references, awards to die for, only to be followed up with an announcement of their exit, and comments from senior management over a beer about how useless they were and how lucky we are to be rid of them. At what point do you start to look at the system. When staff turnover is 3 times the industry average don’t you start to look deep inside and consider other possible reasons?

(edited by me before Mumbrella do it)

Check out the latest offers in family discount meals http://www.kfc.com.au/menu/ind.....ietyBucket

Cynic, I think you’ll find your definition of low perfomer = doesn’t agree with everything you say

Mole, I think you’ll find the definition of low performer is sacked or as so eloquently put deadwood. Go cynic, you’ve got more supporters then you’ll ever know. I’m sick of these losers pretending that they’re speaking for everyone.

Extract about corporate (edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)

Here is some helpful tips so both sides can move on http://www.ula.org/organizatio.....ADec06.pdf

Back to my original point …. Why should women be worse off when they go off and have babies? And what should us gals do about it?

Tim, please shut this thread down.

Cynic and anonymous I respect your opinion however I beg to differ with you.
With respect to the whining comments, people are just using freedom of speech. They obviously felt that there was an issue that wasn’t getting heard internally and that’s why they have to resorted to these forums. I beg you Tim please do not shut this comments page down. The people have be silenced about these antics for far too long they need to be heard!